Double Cup Balloon Bop
- Play time:
- 5 to 10 minutes
- Setup:
- 2 minutes
- Where:
- Anywhere
Why it helps
This activity is a fantastic way to help your child practice using both hands together in a coordinated way. By holding a cup in each hand, they are working on bilateral coordination and stability. Tracking the balloon as it moves helps with eye-hand coordination and ocular control. These skills are important for everyday tasks like dressing or eventually playing sports. It is also a high-energy game that keeps kids moving and laughing!
Steps
- Blow up a balloon and tie it securely to get things started.
- Give your child two sturdy paper cups to use as paddles.
- Have them hold one cup in each hand while standing in an open space.
- Toss the balloon gently into the air to begin the game.
- Ask your child to tap the balloon up using the bottom of either cup.
- Challenge them to alternate hands by hitting it with the left cup and then the right.
- See how many times they can keep the balloon in the air before it hits the ground!
Safety tip: Always supervise children during balloon play. Broken balloon pieces are a choking hazard and should be picked up and discarded immediately.
Make it easier
- Use paper plates as paddles, which give a bigger hitting surface than cup bottoms.
- Hit with either cup in any order before trying to switch hands each time.
- Use a big balloon, which floats down slowly and gives more time to get ready.
Make it harder
- Call out left or right before each hit.
- Cross the arms over the body so the left cup hits on the right side and the right cup on the left.
- Keep the balloon up while staying inside a small square of tape on the floor.
What to watch for
- Notice whether your child's eyes follow the balloon all the way down or look away before the hit.
- Watch whether one hand reaches across to do most of the hitting instead of letting the other side take its turn.
- If your child worries about the balloon popping, swap it for a light beach ball.
Where this helps in daily life
Following a moving object with the eyes and timing a hand to meet it is the same skill kids use to catch a ball, hit a ball off a tee, and pop bubbles as they float by.
Need personalized support?
While these activities are great for home practice, nothing replaces the guidance of a licensed therapist. If you are in Irvine, CA or the Orange County area and have concerns about your child's Eye-Hand Coordination, we invite you to connect with us.
Contact Tumble N' Dots Therapy →These activities are for home practice and don't replace the guidance of a licensed therapist.
